If your dog or cat is vomiting or has  diarrhea,  first be sure that you schedule a physical examination with your veterinarian.  These conditions can occur due to foreign body obstructions, intestinal parasites, Giardia , a viral organism, a food allergy, liver or renal disease, some endocrine problems or a simple dietary indiscretion.  

For  a simple dietary indiscretion, your veterinarian may prescribe a bland diet. The length of time the bland diet should be given will vary case by case, but there is no specific time limit. Your veterinarian will give you a general recommendation (usually 3-7 days). It will take several months for a nutritional deficiency to appear and the most important thing is for your pet to get food in their stomach and to keep it down. 

The size of the recipe will vary depending on the size of the pet, and the important thing is to maintain the proper proportions. Generally, whatever your pet wants to eat is what he or she needs.

Recipe for dogs-

Mix 1 part cottage cheese (any brand, nonfat or lowfat) with 2 parts steamed white rice. You can also substitute the cottage cheese for lean boiled chicken (without skin or bones). Again, keep the proportions at 1 part chicken to 2 parts steamed white rice.

Recipe for cats-

Boiled skinless chicken or turkey  breast only.  Cats are strict carnivores, so no rice is added. 

After you have fed your pet  this diet for the the recommended number of days, it is important to slowly mix in your pet's regular food with the bland diet. Do this over a period of five days by feeding smaller portions of the the bland diet mixed with increasingly larger portions of your dog's regular food.

Replenish fluid loss with  water, Pedialyte, Gatorade or low sodium chicken broth.   As with the bland diet, start by offering your pet small amounts of fluid. If your dog does not vomit, slowly increase the amount of fluid offered. Eventually, you should give your pet as much fluid as he/she will drink.

Vomiting

If your pet  is vomiting, start by feeding him or her one tablespoon of the bland diet at a time. If your pet does not vomit, slowly increase the food amount and frequency of feeding.  If vomiting does occur, fast your pet for 4 hours before offering the bland diet again. Do not worry if your pet does not want to eat for a day or two. The important thing is to stay hydrated by keeping water down. 

In many cases, Pepcid AC can be given. Ask your veterinarian for the proper dosage.

Diarrhea

Depending on the cause of diarrhea, you may want to bring in a stool sample to check for parasites. It can be dropped off anytime during office hours.